New Issue: Black Bull of Clarence charges onto ‘Queen’s Beasts’ coins

The Black Bull of Clarence is the next creature to charge onto the Royal Mint’s “Queen’s Beasts” bullion series, which celebrates 10 mythical creatures that have stood guard throughout hundreds of years of British royal heraldry.

The bull is a symbol of power and might and is associated with the rise of the House of York during the 15th century. It’s believed Edward IV’s army bore the bull on their shields in his victorious battle of 1461, after which he became the first Yorkist king of England.

Evidence of the various symbolic beasts, which also include griffins, lions, dragons and falcons, can be seen all round the U.K. in some surprisingly ordinary places in British daily lives and culture—from pub signs to passports and city badges to sport.

BLACK BULL OF CLARENCE

The Black Bull of Clarence bullion coins are available in one ounce of gold; a quarter-ounce of gold; and two ounces of silver.

Unusually, the designs on both sides of the coin are by the same designer, Jody Clark, who is a member of the Royal Mint design team. He’s best known for his “fifth portrait” of the Queen seen on U.K. coinage series since 2015, and he has carried out a great deal of research into British heraldry to come up with his “Queen’s Beasts” designs.

“Two strong styles kept appearing in my research—the royal and heraldic, and the fantastical approach,” said Clark. “I wanted my designs to be somewhere in the middle of the two—something that looked like a real beast rather than just a graphic heraldic image. It was important for me to keep a consistent appearance and character throughout the series. For the bull I continued that balance of realism and a stylized look. I wanted the bull to be strong and muscular, so I looked at lots of anatomical drawings and classical sculptures for reference. I actually found rodeo images really helpful to capture the beast’s sense of power.”

The Queen’s Beasts Black Bull of Clarence Bullion coins are available through bullion wholesalers worldwide.

Visit royalmintbullion.com for more details.

BULLION COIN SPECIFICATIONS

A range of commemorative ‘Queen’s Beast’ coins depicting the Black Bull of Clarence were also issued by the Royal Mint.

COMMEMORATIVES

The Royal Mint is also issuing Black Bull of Clarence commemorative coins in a range of finishes, from Brilliant Uncirculated to silver Proof and gold Proof.

The largest Black Bull of Clarence coins are the 100-mm-wide gold and silver kilo coins—Britain’s largest official coin—which retail at £49,995 and £1,995, respectively.

The range starts with the Brilliant Uncirculated collectable £5 coin.

The Black Bull of Clarence is the fifth beast to appear on the Royal Mint’s commemorative “Queen’s Beasts” range following the launch of the Unicorn of Scotland, the Lion of England and the Red Dragon of Wales.

SPECIFICATIONS